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Remembering Ray Goodman

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“I believe in the pursuit of truth by whatever means are available to know the truth. I believe in the dignity of all persons. I believe in social justice. I believe in human rights everywhere and for everyone. I believe in a democratic society.”— Dr. Raymond Goodman

DR. RAYMOND D. GOODMAN (MPH ’72), a renowned public health physician dedicated to advancing population health and a Fielding School champion through his philanthropy and leadership, passed away at the age of 97 on February 19.

The FSPH community gathered in April to remember Goodman and honor his achievements in public health as part of the 44th Annual Lester Breslow Distinguished Lecture, an event he and his wife Betty J. Goodman established.

In addition to serving on the faculty of both the Fielding School of Public Health and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Goodman was founding president of FSPH’s alumni association and founding chair of the dean’s council. He endowed in perpetuity the Raymond D. Goodman Scholarship Fund, which to date has supported more than 100 students across the school’s five departments.

“Experiencing the generous spirit of Dr. Goodman and his family, and a wonderful education from FSPH, I managed to go on to a successful career as a chief information officer in health care,” says Jean Balgrosky (MPH ’80, PhD ’15), FSPH’s inaugural Goodman Scholar. “More importantly, I internalized the value of providing this type of support to others, so they too can pursue their academic goals and discover themselves in the process. I will always remember and be grateful for the support provided to me and the 100 other students at FSPH who have been helped by Dr. Goodman and his family. May we all emulate his example in our own lives.”

Goodman is survived by his five children and five grandchildren. His family requests that any donations in his memory support FSPH students through the Raymond D. Goodman Scholarship Fund. For more information or to make a donation, please visit giving.ucla.edu/FSPHGoodmanScholarship.